


The First of Many

by TribalVipe



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Basically just a ton of fluff, F/M, Fluff, like no other tags really apply, maybe smut later on, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-30
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-04-14 19:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14142744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribalVipe/pseuds/TribalVipe
Summary: Rafael and Liv experience the first time for everything in their growing relationship. Barson One-Shots.





	1. Jealousy

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is just little fluffy (maybe smutty in the future) one-shots featuring the first times in the Barson relationship. I also need a break from all the angst and violence and gore I like to write about. I hope you guys like this! I don't own svu or its characters. Enjoy!

"Are you jealous?"

Rafael nearly scoffed at the suggestion, but the way he avoided her eyes and studied his menu with feigned interest was all the answer she needed to confirm her suspicion.

Liv stared at him, a small smile on her face as he blew air out of his mouth and his nostrils flared. She could see his eyes darting around the plastic menu, not focusing on anything in particular. He tried, though, to make it seem like he'd actually been reading the words in front of him, when he pointed out the Cajun Shrimp dish.

Liv suppressed a chuckle, seeing that he remembered he hated shrimp and was now berating himself for picking that off the tons of other items on the menu to act interested in. She plucked up her glass of wine on the table and sipped, finding him utterly adorable in that moment.

She was also a little surprised. Rafael didn't strike her as the jealous type. Plenty of times he had been around when men had shown interest in her. Asking for her number, making a passing comment on how beautiful she was, or even just blatantly staring at her chest or admiring her from behind. He always seemed to find it amusing when she became annoyed easily by their oogling.

But this time, he looked a little…pissed? That wasn't quite the word. He was definitely taken aback by the comment that fell from the waiter's mouth, and the frown that replaced his smile just a second before was accompanied by narrowed eyes. She had caught all of this while she was trying to gently ward off the man, who was supposed to be refilling their wine instead of hitting on her. She bit back a small, satisfied smirk as she thanked him and sent him on his way.

"I can't believe you're jealous," she chuckled, cradling her chin in her hand as he looked up and glared at her.

"I am not jealous."

"Yes, you are."

"I have no reason to be," he countered, flipping the page of the menu back to the beginning for the fifth time in less than three minutes. He waited another minute and then snapped his menu closed when he felt her eyes on his face.

"Why would I be jealous?"

"Because our waiter asked me out on a date."

He reached forward and sipped from his own glass of scotch, looking around at the crowded restaurant, "He did? I didn't notice."

Liv laughed and reached across the table, fingers brushing the back of his hand. The sensation of his skin against hers was…relatively new. They'd briefly touched hands before at work. Passing files back and forth, handing over lattes or even shaking hands when they needed to appear professional in front of superiors at a meeting.

But that was always related to _work_. This was entirely new. She was touching his hand in a way that signified a shift in their relationship. She licked her lips, trying to steer her mind away from such deep thoughts. This was their first date and she wanted to have fun. She could save those thoughts for later on tonight, when she was alone in her bed after what she just knew was going to be one of the best dates of her life.

"You're cute when you're avoiding the truth."

* * *

He narrowed his eyes at her over his glass and set it down, but he didn't move the hand that had her fingertips tracing the lines of his veins. "I'm not jealous. He just needs to be focusing on his job more than hitting on women who are obviously on dates with other men."

Rafael hated that his voice grew short and snippy as the sentence went on, but he couldn't help it. Ok, he was jealous, and Liv knew that, but he was hesitant to admit that out loud.

It was a new feeling for him. Jealousy had never been part of any relationship he had in the past. Only once before, way back when he was dating Yelina, and she would laugh harder at Alex's jokes more than his, or sit next to him when the three of them went out to eat instead of by him. But, he had been a teenager back then, head over heels for a girl that was going to break his heart just two weeks shy of high school graduation.

It was a feeling he didn't like. He thought it made people appear insecure, which he was, and pathetic, which he tried not to be, and desperate, which he definitely was not, and he never wanted to be _that_ guy. And for the most part, in all of his relationship since Yelina, he hadn't been.

He supposed that could have been because every relationship he had since then wasn't serious. It never lasted more than six months, and the majority of the time, he was miserable with them because they were exactly like him. Cold workaholics who drank too much and liked to win and make money and show off their fancy clothes and go yachting on the weekends so they could schmooze with those asshole rich kids they went to school with.

Feeling jealousy on a date was new and surprising to him, but he surmised it was different this time. He was with his best friend, on their first official date. They weren't here as friends. They were here as two people who had romantic feelings for each other, and perhaps that's why the tall, handsome, waiter that blatantly hit on her right in front of him got to him so bad.

She was with him. It was obvious. It should appear obvious, anyway. Of course, all the other times before this when they had sat at Forlini's and went over files, and even after he left the D.A.'s, just caught up three times a week, that never stopped men from trying swoop in and make a move. It didn't bother him then, despite the fact that he was fully aware he was in love with her. But he hadn't been with her, like he was with her now.

"So, what if I am a little jealous," he finally conceded, feeling his cheeks burning. Liv looked a little victorious when he said it, but he would give her that. She called him on it as soon as she saw it because she knew him better than anyone.

"I can't help it. I finally get you out on a date and some guy tries to cut in? I don't think so."

Liv shook her head, grin still plastered on her face, even when the waiter came back and gave her his full attention. Liv stopped tracing the top of his hand, and instead, grabbed his hand, making it clear to the man that was taking their orders that she was on a date. He took the hint and stepped back, his suddenly warm and too friendly demeanor replaced by professionalism.

When he left, Liv looked at Rafael and tugged on his hand, "You have no reason to be jealous. Trust me. I've been waiting for this to happen for a while, and some guy in ill-fitting slacks isn't going to take me away from this. I'm already invested."

Just like that, a weight lifted off his chest and he felt the jealousy drifting away with it. He cupped her hand, thumb tracing over her knuckles as they gazed at each other. "Good, because I am, too."

* * *

It was only an hour and a half later, when they were leaving, that the script had flipped completely.

The restaurant he had taken her to was fancy enough that they had a coat check-in, and it being almost April in the city, meant that coats were still very much needed. As they waited, Liv had been texting away on her phone, telling Lucy she was going to be there in less than fifteen. She was eager to get out of the dress and heels and get to sleep, despite wanting to spend more time with Rafael. She had to go in to work for a half-day, but she had made plans to meet him at the park with Noah, and spend the entire rest of the day with the both of them.

As soon as she dropped her phone back in her purse, she looked around from her position in the small line at the checkout counter and spotted Rafael stuck by the hostess stand, a petite blonde woman had her hand on his bicep, smiling flirtatiously at him. He looked uncomfortable, his feet shifting away from her as he caught her eye and a quirked eyebrow.

Liv had joked on him a lot earlier for that little jealous streak he had with the waiter. She thought it cute that he didn't want to admit it, and she appreciated the gesture, she did, even though a few minutes later she admitted to finding it a little sexy that he got all ruffled when the man continued looking down her dress every time he came back to check on them.

She felt a little flair of her own irrational jealousy flair up and she quickly checked both of their coats out, handing the ticket to the woman and snatching them from her hand. She quickly crossed the short space stopped right in front of them, winking at Rafael's relieved expression.

"Here's your coat, honey."

She would laugh later at the look on Rafael's face and the way his cheeks grew a little red. Now, she fake smiled at the woman, who had backed up considerably and was acting as if she had somewhere to be. She excused herself and they took the opportunity to finally leave the restaurant.

"Are you jealous?"

Liv rolled her eyes, hearing her words thrown right back at her face, but she didn't deny them. She merely shrugged her shoulders and laced her arm through his, leaning into his side as the made the short walk back to her apartment.

"So, what if I am?"


	2. First Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's another chapter I wrote up real quick! Hope you like! I don't own svu or its characters. ENJOY!

**__**

Their first kiss happened in her office, when he was visiting her on her lunch break.

She had been having a rough day, he knew, through the constant text messages she was sending him all morning. One right after the other, making idle chat about where he wanted to go to dinner that night, or if he wanted to stay in with her and Noah and eat whatever slop she could throw together.

He had graciously offered to cook, knowing she was probably going to be worn out and out like a light as soon as her belly was full, she was showered, and she was cuddled up against him on the couch with Noah in between them. It was one of those days, he could tell.

They'd only been dating for a week, but they had six years of friendship and getting to know you time, so he knew when she was holding back. He had point blank asked her what was wrong while he was shuffling through some of the papers on his desk in his office, but all he received in return was a 'Nothing. I'm fine. Don't worry.'

But, he knew her better. Something was bothering her, and she wouldn't tell him through a text message, which was fine. He was itching to see her after their date was cut short last night, and this gave him the perfect excuse to take an extended lunch break and bring her some of her favorites from the deli just two blocks from the precinct.

He waited to text back until he was about to leave the office, timing it to fit with her normally scheduled lunch breaks that she tended to work through. She sent him a smiley face and a heart at his lunch plans and he quickly rushed down to the deli, that was thankfully, just a ten-minute walk from his firm.

With two, full white bags in one hand, he shot her a text, warning her that he was on his way up. He hoped she could intercept him as soon as he entered the precinct, but he caught sight of her sitting in her office, forehead cradled in her hand before Carisi jumped into his line of sight, greeting him happily.

"Long time no see, Barba," Fin said from his desk, looking over his glasses at him. Amanda, who had come back from the break room, clapped him on the back, a warm smile on her face. He nodded back at them, his focus on Olivia, but he didn't want to be rude. The squad had been incredibly supportive of him during his trial and subsequent departure, and he didn't want to seem ungrateful, even if that was two months dead and gone.

"Hello, everyone. If you'll excuse me, Liv's lunch is getting cold," he scoot past them but before he could even two steps, Amanda stopped him and nodded towards her office.

"She's had a rough day. We responded to a call this morning…little girl…you know." She didn't elaborate. Cases with kids were always incredibly hard for everyone involved. Liv took it especially hard, with everything her son had gone through, she tended to put him scenarios like that in her head and he knew it impacted her greatly.

"Gotcha," he nodded and proceeded to her office. He opened the door and knocked on the frame, smiling when she lifted her head. She looked tired with her glasses perched on her nose and her hair up and away from her face. She smiled back, eyeing the logo of the bags in his hand.

"You know me so well," she tried joking, but he could hear the forced amusement in her voice. He chuckled despite that and closed the door behind him, moving over to the blinds to give them some privacy. He set the bags on the desk and walked around her desk, leaning against the side as she sat back and looked up at him.

"Did they mention anything?"

"Rollins did."

Liv nodded and slipped her glasses off, dropping them on the desk without care. She rubbed her hands over her face, careful not to disturb the light makeup she wore. "It's been a while since we've had to deal with one and it just…I don't know, it just messed me up."

He hummed, understanding completely. He had always appeared stoic and unaffected during those kinds of cases when he was working SVU. But, alone, in his office, afterwards? She was so much stronger than him when it came to stuff like this. That was for certain.

"She was five. Five-years-old. She's Noah's age. And all I could imagine when I was there was him sitting in front of me, telling me all of these horrific things that happened to him…," she trailed, eyes filling with tears. He grabbed her hands and pulled her out of her chair, wrapping his arms around her. She sniffed and pressed her cheek against his, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and her hand around the back of his neck.

"I know it sounds stupid but I can't help but do it sometimes."

"It's not stupid. After Sheila…," he tried not to spit out the woman's name with so much disdain, but he knew he failed, "No one can fault you."

He could feel her smile against his cheek and her fingers start to trace up the back of his head, through his hair.

"Thank you," she said softly, her breathing hitting his ear. He tried to suppress the shiver than ran through him and pulled back, placing his hands on her waist. She kept her hands on his shoulders and he couldn't help but notice their proximity.

They hadn't kissed yet. It was a facet of their new relationship that hadn't been explored, like so many others, but it was one that was important to him and, he was sure, her as well. A few times he had daydreamed what it would be like to kiss her. Brush her hair from her face, cup her cheek and just do it.

It crossed his mind a few times within the past week, when he would walk her up to her apartment, their hands hesitantly hovering close to each other as they stood by her door, talking and laughing or just shyly staring at each other. They were taking things slow, something that had been decided upon unanimously on their first date, and they were true to their word.

But, something was urging him to lean forward and press his lips to hers. Maybe, it was because her eyes were still a little glassy or her hands had trailed from his shoulders to his chest, fingers playing with the satin material of his tie. It could have been how close she was to him and how it felt touching her like this for the first time.

He wasted little more than a few seconds on an internal struggle, deciding whether or not now was the right time to do. Instead, he took a deep breath and slide his hand against her cheek, shifting forward. Her hands were still on his chest, trapped between them now, but she had that little smirk on her face when his nose brushed against hers.

In the end, she was the one to ultimately make the move. He supposed he had been taking too long with the playful eye roll she sent him and tugged on his tie, bringing them chest-to-chest and lips-to-lips.

It lasted for a while, their lips moving softly against one another's, exchanging tiny chaste kisses and long drawn out ones, saying everything that had yet to say to each other. And then they turned passionate rather quickly. With her arms sliding around his shoulders and his trailing up and down her back.

He groaned into her mouth when her tongue touched his and the response to that was immediate as she arched her body against his. He walked them back a few steps, her feet stumbling a little to keep up, and he was just about press her into the wall of windows behind her desk when a short, sharp knock broke through the atmosphere.

They jumped apart quickly, only having a second to adjust themselves as Fin came barreling in, gesturing behind him. "Stone got us the warrant. I'm taking Carisi with me."

"Stay safe," Liv called after him, sounding just a little breathless as the door closed. If Fin noticed anything, he didn't let on about it. He hoped he would keep his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted for Liv to be caught up in office gossip.

"Well that's a mood killer," he laughed and ran a hand through his hair. She laughed too and turned back to him, back into his arms. She pressed her lips to his again, framing his face in her hands.

"I like kissing you."

"I like to be kissed by you."

She giggled and pressed a few more kisses against his lips before she pulled away completely and grabbed for the bag of food that had sat forgotten on her desk. He helped her pull out their lunch and they settled on the sofa together, talking about anything and everything for the next hour and ten minutes.

By the time they had finished up and were saying their goodbyes, her suspect was walking in in handcuffs, being led by Carisi and Fin and followed by Amanda, who was looking pissed and determined to nail the guy. Liv's happy grin had disappeared, but she didn't look so tired and sad like she did earlier, and he was glad. She was going to destroy this guy, he already knew.

"Back at it," he sighed and ran a hand up and down her back as she watched the man being led into the interrogation room.

"Unfortunately." She walked him to her office door and leaned into kiss him again, hand on the knob. She hummed against him and pulled back, "That's never going to get old."

"You're tellin' me," he said softly, kissing her cheek. She smiled and ran her hand over his chest.

"I'll pick you up on my way home?"

"Sounds good. Don't kill him, ok?"

"No promises," she smiled and with one last parting kiss, he left her to her duties so he could get back to his. He had trial to prep for and he wanted all of his work done before four o'clock, so he could get out of there in time.

He had two special people to cook for.

__


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:This was a request done for Meg0631 (FF.net), for a first fight! If anyone else has any sort of first thing relationship ideas, message me or drop a comment! I don't own SVU or its characters. Enjoy!

He wasn't so surprised when they had their first argument just two weeks into their new relationship.

They were both stubborn, hard-headed people, passionate about what their work and their interests and each other. They were no strangers to arguments between them. Outside of the courtroom, in her office, in his office when he was with the D.A. Hell, one time they argued in front of a bunch of patrons at Forlini's and almost got banned from the place when she told him to shove his own foot up his ass.

Those arguments always ended quickly, though. There were never grudges or angry looks between them. They never sent heated text messages and they never, ever talked bad about each other behind their backs.

He didn't have to wonder why this argument was so different. He knew the reason. Both of them, actually.

The change from friendship to relationship was seamless and easy. They were both afraid and nervous to mess things up, like any best friends would when they became romantically involved with one another. But, he was happy it had gone smoothly.

Until now.

He wasn't trying to be so dramatic about it, but part of him was dreading that look she would give him when she broke it off with him. He thought about her pretty face dressed with a frown and saddened eyes, telling him it just wasn't worth it, and that she needed time to think about them. That was worst case scenario.

He didn't want to think about best case scenario. Not yet. Not when he hadn't heard from her all day and he was drowning his anxiety in scotch at their favorite bar.

She was probably at home, curled up with Noah, watching TV and eating ice cream with him. Spending time together, just the two of them alone, something she absolutely loved to do. She was happy when it was just the two of them and he didn't fault her for that, at all. She was a full-time mom and a full-time cop and he loved every bit of that.

God, he was pathetic. Their fight was pathetic. All this over a bruise on her arm.

He didn't think he was being so ridiculous when he got upset over it. It was a nasty looking thing, given to her by a nasty looking man, who was hunting down women across the city, viciously attacking them in the vilest of ways. It was upsetting to him that he got that he was able to get that close to her, and he voiced it while he walked her from the precinct to her apartment.

Their calm words quickly grew heated, though. It went from 0 to 100 in the span of seconds and soon, they were arguing out in front of her building, attracting passing strangers who gave them weird looks and some who didn't say anything. He huffed and she scoffed and she turned on her heel without saying goodbye, and he walked away with a sour expression, shoulders tense and angry.

That was early last night, before 7 pm, and now it was nearing nine, close to Noah's bedtime.

He briefly thought about shooting her a text and apologizing, taking all the blame and begging her to give him a second chance. But then he reminded himself he didn't beg. Not over something so trivial (to her at least). He may have had those negative thoughts swirling his head all day at work, but he was stubborn as hell, and also, giving her time to herself because he thought that's what she wanted.

He didn't want to come off as clingy and desperate and fearful she was going to leave him. He would be that way in the privacy of his own apartment or privately in Forlini's, but not in front of her. Which was one of things she brought up last night in their argument.

He was guarded. He knew it. He always had been. It was a defense mechanism from a shitty childhood that carried on into adult life, to protect himself from heartbreak and rejection and everything bad that could happen to him along the way.

He thought he had been more open to Liv than to anyone else, but she confirmed that wasn't the case, just like he confirmed she put herself into harm's way too much. He wished he hadn't said anything now.

His phone chimed from his pocket and he pulled out, a little spark of hope in his chest when he saw her name and opened the message.

_Noah wants you to tuck him in. We also need to talk about last night. Come over?_

He swallowed the lump in his throat, that sense of dread he'd been feeling all day worsening by the second. Part of him swelled with joy that Noah missed his presence enough to want him to come over and tuck him in, but the other part couldn't help but get stuck on the second sentence.

They needed to talk. Isn't that the way all break-ups started?

* * *

It was a short walk to her apartment, and when she opened the door, she smiled hesitantly at him and stepped aside. He didn't say anything. He just shucked off his coat and draped it over the back of the couch, picking up Noah, who had sleepily climbed off the couch and held up his arms.

Rafael hefted him up, commenting about how heavy was to get a smile and then walked him back into his room, leaving Liv standing there watching them, and the words he was afraid of hearing on her lips.

He took longer than was necessary, listening to Noah prattle on about what he learned at school that day and the cool bird he saw on the way home with Lucy through Central Park. He listened until Noah was too tired to talk and then he kissed his forehead and covered him up, flipping on his nightlight and leaving the door cracked like he liked it.

He found Liv, resting against the cushions of her sofa, her legs curled underneath her and a glass of wine in her hands. A glass of scotch sat on the coffee table in front of her, and he tried not to look so nervous and scared. She patted the seat next to her and he obeyed, turning towards her but not really looking at her.

There was silence for a few seconds, and he prepared himself for the worst.

"I'm sorry."

He wasn't expecting to hear that come out of her mouth. At least, not at first. He dared a glance at her and found her eyes a little glassy, and her fingernails picking at the oversized sweater she liked lounge around in. It felt like an eternity before he responded.

"I'm sorry, too."

She set her glass down on the table and moved closer to him, until she had her arms wrapped around him and her face buried in his neck. He sighed in relief, closing his eyes as his fears dissipated into thin air. Just touching her was enough for him to realize how stupid he had been in thinking this one little bump in the road was going to ruin their relationship forever.

They'd been through much worse together, and he found himself feeling slightly idiotic for having so little faith in her and their love for each other.

"I shouldn't have said something like that," he whispered into her hair, the smell of it bringing him the sense of calm he'd been itching for all day, "Your job is your job and I had no right to say that."

"No," she pulled back, "I get it. I understand. You were worried. I just…I guess I reacted badly to it because I feel the need to defend myself. A few relationships I've been in...they didn't seem to understand that I know what I'm doing. But, you have a point. I've been careless in thinking that the next time I stare down the barrel of some perp's gun, he's going to listen to me and drop it by my feet."

She laced their fingers together, "I have a son to think about. I have you to think about, now." He smiled and kissed her softly, pressing their foreheads together. "And I don't have a death wish, to answer your question from last night."

He chuckled and she smiled and he pulled her against him, wanting to be as close to her as he could. He kissed her temple and ran a hand up and down her back.

"I just want you to be careful. I know you can't promise nothing will ever happen, but promise me you'll try. And I promise that I'll be more open and less guarded around you."

He could feel her trying to pull back, but he didn't let her. Instead, she kissed his throat and murmured into it, "I shouldn't have said that."

"No," he shook his head, "It's true. I try really hard to let you in and I know I do a shitty job at it sometimes and I'm going to try harder. I'll talk about anything you want to talk about. No subject will be off limits."

This time, he did let her pull back, but she didn't move very far, "You sure about that?"

He mulled it over in his mind and gave her a tight-lipped smile when he realized what that sentence could possibly entail. "…maybe not the painful ones just yet. But everything else, I'm an open book."

She kissed him and smiled again, and just like that, it was over. Their first argument, dead and buried as they settled into her sofa and turned on an old movie to watch for a little, until he had to head home. He was due at a meeting first thing and she needed to be demanding a warrant as soon as Stone stepped foot into his office.

But for now, he was going to bask in the fact that they successfully survived the first bump in the road of what, he was sure, knowing the both of them, was many more to come.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's another first! The first time they're caught kissing in Liv's office! All the fluff. It's a short one, though. I don't own SVU or its characters. Enjoy!

"You're going to get me in trouble…"

Rafael smiled devilishly into her neck, pressing kisses from behind her ear down to her shoulder. She squirmed against him, but he didn't relinquish his hold on her. He only tightened his arms around her waist and chuckled against her skin when she groaned in frustration.

"I have work to do, you know."

"Oh? I've been here for a half-hour and you've been reading the same paper since I stepped through the door."

He could sense her playful eyeroll as she cleared her throat and brought the paper back up to her eyes. He knew she wasn't paying any sort of attention to it, and was merely using it to tease him. She loved to make him work for it and he loved to put in the effort.

"It's been a slow night," she said, dragging her nails across the back of his hand that rested against her stomach. He hummed and continued his attack on her neck, swaying slowly to the soft music that played from her computer in the background.

"Any chance you can take off early? I promised Noah I would make _arroz con pollo_ one time this week and I'm booked every day until Friday."

"I was already planning on it," she sighed and gave up on the paper, throwing it on her desk. She turned around in his arms and smiled, kissing him briefly. She pressed her hands to his chest as he cradled her back in his hands.

"You look beautiful today." She rolled her eyes and didn't say anything, but the blush rising on her cheeks made him grin. He loved making her blush, and it was usually accomplished by being the sappy romantic he was hiding underneath his exterior. Simply telling her she looked beautiful whenever he saw her always did it.

"You always say that," she said quietly, fingers playing with the tie that had been loosened already before his arrival. Her fingers picked at the buttons at his collar, eyes focused in on them lavender material.

"It's always true."

"You're such a dork," she laughed and buried her face in his neck. He breathed in the scent of her hair and picked up the slow swaying rhythm he had before. It felt so good just to hold her. He wondered why in the hell he ever waited to tell her how he felt about her. Just knowing what he had been missing out on was a little hard to comprehend sometimes. He wasn't sure how he ever went without.

"You wouldn't have me any other way," he scoffed and she pulled back, eyebrow raised.

"Oh really? You think you know me so well?"

"I can read you like a book."

"That right? Enlighten me. Why on Earth would I prefer you, a dork, over a strapping, charming, handsome man who could sweep me off my feet?"

He genuinely got a laugh from that and she giggled herself, fisting his suit jacket in her hands. He pulled her close and kissed her cheek.

"First of all, any man that would sweep you off your feet obviously wouldn't make it very far, because that's just not your thing, Lieutenant."

She bit her lip to keep her laughter from interrupting him and he found the action incredibly irresistible, but he kept speaking.

"Also, any charm he would have would be no match to mine. I've been told I'm very persuasive when I want to be." That got a giggle. It was a sentence she had thrown at him a couple years back that made him smile.

"As for strapping? Well, you could have a big, strong, caveman like meat head. But, I'd like to think you prefer intelligent conversation and a decent pair of arms, myself."

She ran her hands down his arms, "I like your biceps."

"So, you've said."

She leaned back in his embrace, and pressed her hands against his chest, "What about the whole dork thing?"

"That? I can't really help that. I like to read, I love watching documentaries, I have an obsession with suspenders and I sing showtunes every time I step foot into the shower. Can you honestly tell me you would pick some strapping, handsome man over me?"

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, pretending like she was thinking long and hard about it. He rolled his eyes and slid his hand to her waist, tickling her. She jumped and yelped, slapping him playfully.

"I'm kidding! Besides, I find the whole dork thing kind of sexy. Especially, with this stubble."

"Mean it?"

"I swear."

He grinned at her and leaned for another kiss. The sound of the door swinging open suddenly was enough to break them apart, and he backed up quickly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Liv covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide and taken by surprise.

Judging by the look on Carisi's face, he had seen what was going on and they both knew he was going to blab to everyone about it. But, for now, he was at least professional while wearing that smug grin on his face as he handed over a few files to Liv, who took them without saying anything.

"I'll, uh…see myself out."

"You do that. Quickly."

Carisi stifled his laughter and closed the door, but his voice was loud enough that they could both hear him cackling and calling for Finn and Amanda, who evidently, weren't at their desks.

"Well that's just wonderful," she sighed and threw the files on her desk. Rafael slid his hand over his face, feeling the slightest bit of irritation. Being interrupted mid-kiss and by Carisi of all people?

"You should have fired him the moment you met him with that god-awful mustache."

She laughed despite everything and he smiled, "Look, it's not like we work together anymore. I know we both wanted to keep things to ourselves but them knowing isn't the worst thing in the world."

"I know. I just don't want to deal with the looks."

"The looks?"

"The looks. Like the one Carisi just had on his face. Makes me want to punch him and that's not allowed."

He chuckled and circled her desk, kissing her a few times before he pulled back. I'm gonna head to the store. Get some things for dinner."

"I'm going to finish up here. Meet at my apartment? I'll tell Lucy you'll be showing up."

"Sounds perfect. Red wine?"

"Make it white," she called after him, his hand on the knob. He looked back at her and quirked his brow, not used to the response. She shrugged one shoulder.

"It's that kind of night."

After a moment of thought, he nodded and smirked, "Yeah. You're right."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was a suggestion by BJ, who always takes the time to review my fics. Thank you so much! I hope you guys like this one. It features Lucia, who we all love. I don't own SVU or its characters. Enjoy!

Lucia knew her son.

She knew her son very well. As much as most moms knew their kids. Of course, their relationship had been through more strain than most (but less than a lot), and they'd fallen out of touch more than once in the past.

After the Householder case and his subsequent departure, they had gone through another little rough patch, but they talked and for the first time in a very long time, she held him while he cried. That had been a turning point in their relationship.

They saw each other a lot more now. On a few Saturdays for lunch, maybe once or twice during the week when she'd stop by his apartment with a pan of hot, fresh, Cuban food, or the odd Sunday when she could coax him into going to church with her.

They were rediscovering their mother son relationship and she loved it. But, there was something big in his life that she hadn't been privy to knowing just yet. She could tell it was something big, too, because she couldn't ever remember seeing her son so happy.

Not even when he was accepted to Harvard did he look this excited or refreshed. He had a smile on his face that wouldn't disappear, and despite the graying hair, looked ten years younger than he had when he was working for the D.A.'s office.

Lucia peered at her son over the rim of her wine glass, watching the small smirk grow into a grin as he read a message on his phone. She didn't chastise him for paying more attention to the device than her, like she normally would have. It was interesting, watching his demeanor change whenever his phone chimed and she wondered just who he could be speaking with.

It couldn't be work related. Rafael took his work seriously, no matter what, and if he was talking with a colleague, she doubted he would be chuckling at the message on his screen. It couldn't be a friend, because the last time she knew, all of his other friends were corrupt or gave up on him a long time ago.

The only possibly explanation she could come to, was that he was speaking to a woman. And by that, she meant a certain Lieutenant her son just couldn't seem to ever stop talking about. It must have been. No one ever seemed to be able to get her son to smile like that.

"You smile any harder, your face is going to break," she commented, cutting a piece of steak. He glanced at her, his smile faltering a little. He quickly typed out the rest of his message and set his phone down.

"Anyway, you were talking about the thing at the school?"

"Yeah, we'll circle back to that. How's Olivia doing?"

Rafael chewed on his steak, brow furrowed in an attempt to make it seem like he had no idea why his mother brought up her name. She could tell he was on the defensive now, the way he gripped his fork and knife.

"What? What about her?"

"I assume that's who you're texting and smiling like an idiot over."

He scoffed and dropped his fork to the plate, grabbing for his scotch. "You assumed wrong."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Hmm…"

Lucia smirked when her son sucked in a breath and glared at her across the table. There was a time in the past where she would have wiped that look off his face with a glare of her own, but that was when he was a child and afraid of the _ojo_. Now, the peeved expression on his face was just funny and she couldn't help but snort out a laugh.

He rolled his eyes, "Mom. Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong."

"Oh please," she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, mirroring his exact posture. He noticed and dropped his arms to the table, leaning forward, "I'm never wrong."

"I beg to differ."

"Sweetheart, I'm going to be right, even when I'm wrong, till the day I die. So, give it up. How long?"

Rafael licked his lips and stared at her a few minutes longer before he decided to give in. He knew her well enough to know she wouldn't give in until she had concrete evidence and she knew he didn't have that.

"Mother, I would appreciate it if you didn't try and worm your way into my business all the time."

"And I would appreciate if my 48-year-old, unwed and childless son, let's me in on his recent romantic relationship with the infuriating woman he's worked with the past five years."

"Six."

Lucia smirked in triumph before he could realize what he did. He shifted in his seat and sipped his scotch again. "Fine. Ok? Fine. You win. I've been dating Liv for a month now. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Even though she had already connected the dots, Lucia still excitedly clapped her hands together, "Oh _mi hijo_! That's wonderful! Oh, I just knew it had to do with her. Something in my gut. I'm so happy for you!"

Rafael cracked a small smile and ducked his head a little, grabbing his buzzing phone in an attempt to hide the blush rising on his cheeks. "Is that her?"

He nodded and Lucia grabbed her wine, "Invite her out here. I want to get reacquainted with her."

"She has to go relieve her babysitter, mom. She has a son to take care of. Besides, she worked a double today."

Lucia was a little surprised at the mention of a son, but she saw the way his eyes softened at the mere mention of him, and she just knew she had to meet the both of them, as soon as possible. She had a good feeling about this. A very good feeling.

"Then, brunch tomorrow! It's the weekend. Surely, she doesn't have to work."

"I don't know mom…"

"Rafael," she bit out, jabbing her finger at him. He looked between her and her dark red finger nail pointed directly at his face, "The sooner I meet her, the sooner I stop pestering you. And you know I will pester you until you snap."

* * *

Later that night, Liv was curled up against his chest, eyes drooping from the long shift she worked. Noah had gone down quickly with Rafael taking over story time, leaving them with some quality alone time in her living room.

The lights were dim, they were covered with a blanket, his hand was stroking her hair and she was _this_ close to falling asleep when he spoke.

"So…my mom knows about us now."

She smiled and opened her eyes sleepily, leaning her head back so she could look him in the eye. She curled in closer and sighed when his arm circled her waist, "It was only a matter of time."

"She guessed all on her own, too. She wants to have brunch tomorrow with us and Noah, but I told her you already had plans made."

She shook her head and ran her hand down his chest, "Nothing that can't wait until the afternoon. All I had planned was a park outing with Noah, that I was hoping you would accompany me with. I would love to have brunch with your mom."

He looked a little surprised by that, "Really? You've met my mother."

"For ten seconds. She told me I drive you crazy and that was the last I saw her. But, ten seconds was enough to guess what kind of person she is, trust me. I can handle it. So can Noah."

"She can be…nosy."

"I have nothing to hide," she challenged him. She knew he would probably try and find every possible excuse to try and get her to change her mind, but it wouldn't work.

The next time he opened his mouth, she kissed him, distracting him from what he was going to say. She even straddled his lap and buried her fingers in his hair, moaning against his mouth when she felt his hands skim her sides under her shirt.

She pulled back suddenly and smiled down at him, his eyes glazed over and his hair a rumpled mess. "Brunch with your mom tomorrow?"

He caught his breath and swallowed, sliding his hands down to her hips, "If I say yes, can we continue making out?"

She nodded.

"9:30. Evan's Café."

She giggled when he flipped them over and she landed on her back on the soft couch cushions, suddenly looking forward to tomorrow more than he was.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You asked for brunch. You got brunch. This is a follow up from the previous chapter! Again, if anyone has any suggestions, drop a comment! I'm interested to see what you guys could come up with for first time relationship things. I don't own SVU or its characters. Enjoy!

"It's not too late to back out."

Rafael fidgeted a straw wrapper, crumpling and straightening it back out again. He had been doing that for ten minutes now, and Liv finally snatched it out of his hand, stopping the repetitive motion. She balled it up and placed in front of her coffee.

"That's the fifth time you've said that this morning and if you don't stop, I'm putting you on swing set duty when we get to the park this afternoon."

Noah nodded enthusiastically from his seat, his crayon hovering over the outline of the dinosaur on the kid's placemat. Rafael smiled at him, but it quickly fell when he went back to coloring. Liv grabbed his wrist and squeezed it.

"Why are you so worried about this?"

He hung his head for a moment, then looked back up at her, "My mom…she's just…she's not everyone's cup of tea, if you know what I mean. She's sassy. Sassier than I am, which may be hard to believe."

Liv widened her eyes, "Maybe we will back out…"

When Rafael gave her a shocked look, she giggled and cupped his cheek, running her thumb across his bottom lip, "I'm joking."

"Very funny."

He kissed her thumb and she pulled back, crossing her arms and leaning against the table. She followed his eyes when he sat up a little straight, and could see Lucia Barba coming into view. She was on the phone, even as she stepped through the door and smiled and waved at them.

"Oh God," Rafael said quietly, but was nothing but smiles as he stood to greet her. Lucia shoved her phone in her purse and leaned in for a quick hug, eager to get to Liv, who had stood along with him.

"Olivia! Hello! It's so lovely to see you again!"

Liv was a little taken aback by the big hug, but she reciprocated it, enjoying the warm welcome. Lucia quickly bypassed her though and kneeled down in front of Noah, who smiled at her and said, "Hi, Uncle Rafa's mommy."

Rafael rolled his eyes at the high-pitched squeal that emitted from his mother's mouth and Liv pinched his side. He fell down into his seat and picked up his coffee, eager to signal to her that they were starving and ready to eat. "Oh, he's just too adorable. I'm so happy I'm going to have a grandchild one day!"

He hadn't been expecting to hear that, and coughed with a mouthful of hot liquid, a few drops slipping between his lips and onto his nice jeans. Liv, who was trying and failing to suppress her amused giggles, reached over with a napkin and dabbed at the darkening spots on his thigh. Lucia looked from her position in front of Noah with an evil smile and he knew he was in trouble.

"So, I find him with my lipstick all over his lips and my eyeshadow down the front of his shirt, and he tells me that Ricardo, our little chihuahua, did it to him. I have pictures of it, I'll have to show you some time. It was the funniest thing!"

Rafael sat with his chin propped up in his hand, coloring scribbles along the edge of Noah's placemat while the boy dug into his pancakes, looking back and forth between Lucia and Liv, trying to follow along with the conversation.

He had given up halfway through the second childhood story, and had scarfed down his food in an attempt to eat his embarrassment. Liv, however, was all ears, and the two were getting along like old friends. Which, he was glad for.

Initially, he had been worried about his mother doing something or saying something that would completely turn Liv off to the woman. Both his mother and his partner were very headstrong, stubborn women. He had a dream last night of this impending conversation headed into unpleasant territories, and he had woken up in the middle of the night, unable to fall back asleep because of it.

But, they were getting along great, and he was happy for that. Noah seemed to really like her, too, interrupting and asking questions on Spanish words she would throw in from time to time. Seeing the three most important people in his life come together, and getting along, and having fun and laughing made him feel on top of the world.

If only, his mother could cut it with the stories so his cheeks wouldn't permanently be stained red all day.

"I'm telling you, he wouldn't stop trying to convince me that the dog did it. I should have known he was going to be a lawyer from that moment on."

"I'm not surprised," Liv quipped and winked at him as she chewed a piece of her waffle. He offered a small smirk before he glared over at his mother, who was smiling triumphantly at him. He knew why she was spewing all these stories, too. It was punishment for not telling her of his relationship with Liv, sooner.

Lucia Barba could be vengeful when she wanted to be. His life love had always been one of her favorite topics to discuss. That remark about the grandchild thing from earlier was a purposefully placed statement just so he would know how dead serious she was.

"Oh, anyway, what do you three have planned today? Anything exciting?"

"We're taking this guy to the park. Would you like to join us?"

Lucia glanced at Rafael, who shrugged a shoulder, "I can tag a long for a little bit. I have a date tonight, so I need to stop by the salon and get a trim. Maybe a manicure, as well."

"A date?" This was the first time he was hearing about this. She hadn't mentioned it the night before, but it's not like she had time between her gushing about his new relationship and berating him for not telling her sooner.

"Yes, a date. A fifth one, actually."

"Fifth? How long have you been seeing this guy?"

"A little over a month now."

"And you didn't mention it before now?"

"Pot and kettle, darling," she wagged her finger at him. He couldn't argue that.

"Well, what's his name? What does he do for a living?"

"He's on the force, actually," she nodded at Liv, who perked up in her seat. Rafael leaned forward, wanting to know more information.

"That's all you're getting from me. Punishment for keeping these two from me."

Rafael hung his head and groaned, hoping and praying the small headache forming in his head would go away, rather than grow.

* * *

When all was said and done, they were back in Liv's apartment, curled up on the couch while Noah sat in front of the television, enthralled by the characters on the screen singing and dancing. He and Liv were pressed together, her cheek against his shoulder and his hand threaded through her hair, like the night before.

"I can't believe my mother didn't tell me she was seeing someone."

Liv huffed and wrapped her arm around his stomach, curling her fingers under his belt, "You didn't tell her about us."

"That's different."

"How?"

"…she's my mom."

Liv smirked and kissed his neck, feeling his body shiver just a little at the action. "At least it's with someone on the force. She's protected."

"For the most part," he mumbled and jumped when she pinched his side. He chuckled into the top of her head, his lips pressed against her crown while he propped his feet up on the coffee table.

"I don't know why you were so worried about us meeting her. She's wonderful. You may have a different opinion on that, but it was pretty ideal for a woman meeting her man's mother for the first time, don't you think?"

"Except for the grandchild comment. I'm sorry about that, by the way."

Liv sat up and kissed him, cupping his cheek, "Don't be."

He smiled at her. He took a deep breath and finally relaxed, realizing today really had been ideal. Nothing bad happened. Everyone got along. His mother could rest easy knowing he wasn't alone all the time, and she would finally get off his back about not dating anymore. All those negative thoughts would float away, and one of the biggest hurdles done and over with.

Except…

"You're not really going to lunch with my mom next Friday, are you?"

Liv didn't respond. Instead, she stood up and asked Noah what he wanted for dinner, and when he replied with 'pizza', she grabbed his phone and unlocked it, opening up the contact list where numerous take out places had been loaded into it.

"Liv? Are you really?"

She smiled and walked away from the couch, teasingly glancing over her shoulder at him as she walked down the hall.

"…shit."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was a suggestion from Lyssa13! Thanks so much for commenting! Here's a little Raf and Liv and Noah interaction at the hospital. I don't own SVU or its characters. Enjoy!

"I know I'm overreacting but- "

Rafael quickly waved off Liv's teary-eyed apology and pulled her into a hug. She clearly needed one and she definitely wanted one from him. She had called him just fifteen minutes ago, and he had been able to slip out of his office without an excuse.

At first, when she mentioned she was at the hospital, he instantly thought that she had been injured. Her voice was thick and it made his stomach sink, thinking she had been shot in the field, or in unbearable pain. But, when she quickly made it known that Noah had broken his arm and had a nasty cut on his forehead, his stomach sank even further.

He asked her a million questions on the way there, trying to keep her calm. Her tone was shaky and he could hear Noah in the background, crying as a doctor or a nurse, or whoever, was trying to talk soothingly to him, with her help. Half way through his run/walk, she placed the phone to his ear and he talked to him, helping in reducing him to pained whimpers and sniffles instead of sobbing.

"It's ok," he said and kissed her, eyeing Noah over his shoulder, who had his arm resting against his stomach, wrapped up, waiting to be casted. His forehead had a bandage over it, with enough blood peeking through that he knew he would need stitches.

"Rafa," he called to him pathetically and Rafael pushed past Liv gingerly to go to the boy's bedside. He moved and then yelped out in pain, fresh tears coming to his eyes. Rafael winced and cupped his cheek, wiping some tears from his face.

"Hey, buddy. What happened?"

Noah took a deep breath, tears still dripping from his eyes and his voice so shaky he could barely talk between the hiccups, "I fell from the monkey bars at school and broke my arm."

Rafael hummed and noticed the swelling and redness in his forearm. He looked back at Liv, "Where's the doctor?"

"He's on his way. He had to take care of another patient really quick."

"He needs to hurry," he shot back angrily, but she knew it wasn't directed towards him. He could feel his heart beginning to calm down a little now. It nearly beat out of his chest on the way there.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Rafa," Noah hiccupped again, his lower lip trembling. Rafael furrowed his brow and asked why, leaning over him a little. "You said you don't like blood."

Rafael was confused for a second before a little conversation from a few days ago popped up in his head. They had been watching an old movie that Noah had no interest in, choosing instead to play on Liv's tablet rather than cuddle on the couch with them. He had made a disgusted noise over the blood in the action scene and it was a funny enough sound to capture Noah's attention. Rafael had relayed how much he hated blood and, obviously, it had stuck with the little boy, who was afraid of his reaction.

He softened and shook his head, "Don't be sorry. I don't care about that. I'm just worried about you, ok?"

"Can you stay with me and mommy?"

"Of course," he said and slid into the bed beside him, careful to keep distance between their bodies, but close enough that Noah could feel his closeness and comfort. Liv came up next to him and kissed the top of his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it. I need to be here, anyway. I've never seen them put a cast on someone's arm before. It might cool. And I want to be the first to sign it."

Noah looked up at him, "Sign it?"

"Yeah, you can have people write message or their names on your cast. Me, mommy, your uncles and Aunt, Lucy, your teachers, your friends at school…"

Noah pondered all the options, and he finally smiled for the first time since he'd been injured. Liv looked relieved. Rafael felt his blood pressure drop into the normal range again.

"Can you draw a rocket ship on it?"

"What else would I draw?"

Noah giggled just as the doctor walked in with a nurse.

* * *

"He's down."

Rafael walked into the kitchen and Liv sighed, dropping her spoon in the pint of ice cream she started stress eating after Noah requested Rafael help him wash up and tuck him in for a nap. He plucked the spoon out and took a few bites as she cupped her cheeks and shook her head. He nudged her foot with one of his.

"He's ok now."

"I know. I was just so scared," she said and choked. He put the pint down and reached for her arms, pulling her across the small space to his arms. She tucked her head into his neck and he rubbed her back until she calmed down enough.

"This is what I was afraid of happening," she started and pulled back when her voice was too muffled, "I was afraid I was going to react like this. Every time the phone rings, I think something is wrong with Noah. I have to triple check where he is all the time, just to make sure no one snatched him or he isn't hurt or anything. God, it's never going to stop."

Rafael stood with his arms around her, listening as she rambled on. Her hands were clutching his shoulders and her eyes were closed. He could feel her shaking under his hands and he pressed his lips to her temple in an attempt to get her to calm down.

"I'm sorry I pulled you out of work today," she apologized and he shushed her right away.

"Stop apologizing to me. I mean it. Liv, I wanted-no, I needed to be there. When you told me Noah was hurt, the only thing I could do was think about the fastest way to get there. I was so afraid until I saw him and realized he was going to be ok."

She looked at him, her head tipped to the side as she took deep breaths. He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling the back of her head, "I want to be the person you call in times like this. I want to be your rock when you need it. You can't do these things alone, Liv. So let me be there. You won't be burdening me at all."

It took her a minute to process his admission, but she just kissed him when she did and whispered against his lips, "Thank you."

"I'm going to run back to my office, finish up some paperwork, and we'll order in and have a board game night if Noah's feeling up to it."

She smiled, "He's always up for game night."

"Good," he kissed her again and untangled himself from her, "So am I."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know I've been gone for a while, but life is crazy busy. That doesn't mean I'm not continuously writing! I hope to have more updates coming soon, so hopefully this will tide you guys over until then! Thanks for reading! I don't own SVU or its characters. Enjoy!

"You do know we're only staying overnight, right?"

Rafael didn't spare his suitcase a glance and, instead, raised an eyebrow at her large tote, filled with the necessary change of clothes and toiletries. Still, he couldn't help but point at the bag with a judgmental look, "And that's all you're bringing?"

Liv rolled her eyes, making him smile. "Don't make me regret suggesting this."

He started the car and pulled out into the street, easily maneuvering them the fastest way out of the city possible. The conference they were both attending was a two-hour ride into New Jersey, where both had been asked to speak. They decided to make it an overnight trip, taking the night to relax and enjoy some alone time before they would be bombarded with interviews and questions and meeting people from all around the country before they drove back that same night.

He reached over and laced their fingers, running his thumb up and down the length of her forefinger. She smiled at him fondly as he started to croon along to the oldies station playing softly on the radio. They had been so busy lately with their jobs, that they barely had time to see each other. She was working doubles until next Sunday, and he had back to back trials and meetings. He sincerely hadn't thought immigration law would be so taxing, but he was finding it could be even more than the D.A.'s office.

However, summers always proved to be a time when things picked up around the city. Fortunately, they both had planned vacations coming up that they intended to spend together, in hers or his apartment, with Noah and a list of activities they had been contemplating doing for a while. This little excursion to Jersey was a great way for them alleviate the fact that their week of bliss was another two weeks away.

"Noah promised me that we would Facetime him the moment we got to the hotel. He was upset that he didn't get to give you a hug."

"Don't tell me that," Rafael unlaced their fingers and placed his hand over his heart, face contorted into exaggerated pain, "I miss the kid."

"He misses you. More than he misses me, sometimes, I think. I was gone literally for 24 hours last week and one of the first things he asked me in the morning was when you were coming over again."

"You sound jealous," he eyed her, a small smirk forming. She didn't say anything. Instead, she scratched her temple with her middle finger, and they both dissolved into a laughing fit.

By the time they reached their hotel, it was late afternoon, and their backs and legs ached from driving non-stop. Their two hour drive ended up close to three because of unexpected road construction, and then a crash that backed up traffic for a good thirty minutes.

They had spent the extra time swapping stories from their workdays and reminisced about a time when they didn't have to go into entire backstories on clients or suspects and worked the same cases. It seemed like forever ago, and while they both missed working with each other, they enjoyed their lives much more now. Their relationship would have never even started had he still been with the D.A.

* * *

"A queen?"

"That's all they had last minute," she said and shuffled past him, dropping her bag next to his by the dresser, "Is it that big of a problem?"

"It's just not a lot of room."

"Oh. So, you don't want to be that close to me in bed, huh?"

She stood by the bedside and crossed her arms, hip cocked and her head tilted. Her shades pushed her hair back and he could see the playful glint in her eye. He gave her a look and crossed over to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed, enjoying the way she fell into his embrace and sighed into their kiss.

"That's the farthest thing from the truth."

Liv hummed and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, "How far?"

"On the other side of the universe."

"That's far."

"It is."

She leaned back and ran her hands up his arms, stopping on his shoulders. He sighed, "You said you wanted to take things slow."

"I do," she said softly, pulling at a piece of lint that found its way on his impossibly black polo, "But, I think it's time, don't you?"

God, he did. He totally did. He had been thinking that for a while, but she had made it clear when they first started dating that she wanted to take things slow. No rush to the bedroom, which was a big change for both him and her, and they'd been able to thoroughly enjoy this new avenue in their relationship.

Sex wasn't everything, and that had been proven to both of them the longer they went without it.

He took a deep breath and his eye fluttered closed as she pressed kisses up and down his neck. Her lips grazed the stubble on his chin and he threaded his fingers through her hair.

"I want what you want."

"Good. Because, I may be wearing a very sexy set of lingerie underneath my clothes in hopes that you would agree with me…," she trailed and smiled against his skin when he nearly groaned and pulled her tighter against his body.

"How sexy are we talking here?" His voice was tight as he felt his body already responding to her hands drifting down the front of his chest and stomach and landing on his belt. He bit his lip, willing himself to remain calm. He didn't want to embarrass himself with an accidental boner like he did a few weeks ago, when they got into a very spur of the moment and out of character tickle fight one drunk night at his apartment.

"Like, red lace, see-through sexy."

His knees nearly buckled at the thought. He captured her lips in a searing kiss and stepped forward, backing her knees up to the bed. She chuckled and pulled away, hands leaving his belt and landing on his biceps again, "Not so fast, tiger. A proper date night is in order."

"Proper date night? We have date nights all the time," he said and stepped back, his nerves on fire but grateful for the chance to gather himself. She stepped around him and grabbed her purse off the dresser where she dropped it when they came in.

"Cold pizza on my living room floor, watching Friends reruns after Noah goes to sleep isn't exactly what I would classify a proper date as."

He couldn't disagree, "I see your point."

"Good. Now, let's go eat and drink so we can come back here and have some fun," she winked at him playfully over her shoulder, heading towards the hotel room door. He felt a bubble of excitement at her words and nearly tripped over his suitcase following her out.


End file.
